1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parking assisting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a method of guiding a vehicle to a target parking position according to each step shown in FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C has been employed in a parking assisting device. That is, as step G1, the vehicle is moved forward passing the side of a target parking position T and stopped in a position P1 and is further moved forward with an appropriate turning track L1 to a position P2 where a turning angle is xcex81. Then, as step G2, the vehicle in the position P2 is moved backward with an appropriate turning track L2 to a position P3 where a turning angle is xcex82 and stopped. Lastly, as step G3, the vehicle in the position P3 is moved backward with a turning track L3 corresponding to a maximum steering angle to the target parking position T and the parking is completed. In this case, when the vehicle has reached the position P2 from the position P1 or reached the position P3 from the position P2, a driver is notified to that effect, respectively.
However, conventionally, since the driver is notified that the vehicle has reached the position P2 or the position P3 only when the position of the vehicle coincides with the position P2 or the position P3, the driver is informed to that effect abruptly in most cases. Therefore, in some cases, the driver may have difficulty in stopping the vehicle in a desired position based only on the information.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above and other drawbacks in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a parking assisting device that is capable of easily stopping a vehicle in a desired position.
In order to attain the above-mentioned object, a parking assisting device in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention comprises: means for setting a reference of a turning position of a vehicle; means for detecting a turning position of a vehicle based on the reference; and means for notifying a driver of parking assisting information concerning a target guiding position based on the detected turning position of a vehicle, wherein the parking assisting information includes two kinds of information with forms different from each other provided in any two states, including a state in which the vehicle is behind the target guiding position, among three states consisting of a state in which the vehicle has reached the target guiding position and states in which the vehicle is in front of and behind the target guiding position, the two kinds of information informing the driver of at least two states among the three states.
The parking assisting device in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention comprises: means for setting a reference of a turning position of a vehicle; means for detecting a turning position of a vehicle based on the reference; and means for notifying a driver of parking assisting information concerning a target guiding position based on the detected turning position of a vehicle, wherein the parking assisting information includes a brake operation guiding sound, for guiding the driver at a start of a brake operation, that is provided in a first position before the vehicle reaches the target guiding position.